Anxiety And Dizziness
The Relationship Between Anxiety And Dizziness
The relationship between anxiety and dizziness is as yet not well understood. Until recently, there did not appear to be any particular connection between the two. There are a number of things which can result in spells of dizziness, the most common being the result of spinning around, upsetting the equilibrium our inner ear helps us to maintain.
While anxiety and dizziness don't necessarily always go hand in hand, it turns out that spells of dizziness can be one of the symptoms of anxiety. Take away the source of the anxiety, and the symptoms, including dizziness, disappear. There are a number of conditions that can bring about dizziness or fainting spells and a sudden high level of stress is one that is fairly well known. When suddenly stressed, it is easy to become confused, lose one's balance, fell dizzy, or faint. Anxiety on the other hand is more deep rooted and can become more or less of a constant issue, and one we typically don't ascribe many symptoms to.
We all know that stress can be good for us, when experienced in small amounts. Stress can be a motivator and many, rather than dreading it, actually thrive on it. Stress just keeps some people going. Too much stress, or being under stress continuously for long periods of time however, is not good for us, and soon can begin to take its toll, often in the form of declining health.
Stress can create anxiety. Stress can bring on certain symptoms, and therefore anxiety can as well, and the symptoms of stress and of anxiety can often be one in the same. An upset stomach or stomach pain is one of the more common symptoms of stress, and is therefore a symptom of stress-induced anxiety as well. Other symptoms of stress-induced anxiety include muscle tension, nervousness, headaches, and trembling. Sudden attacks of anxiety can bring about difficulty in swallowing and dryness in the mouth, rapid breathing or hyperventilation, and a higher pulse rate. Add dizziness to the mix and it becomes easy to see why prolonged feelings of anxiety can often lead to severe physical as well as mental health problems.
Cause And effect Not Always Easy To Separate - It isn't just anxiety itself that can bring on dizziness, but that which is causing the anxiety that's to blame, which is one reason why for so long there did not seem to necessarily be a strong link between anxiety and dizziness. A heart attack for example will usually bring on feelings of anxiety, at times extreme anxiety. The heart attack can also bring on shortness of breath, sweating, and dizziness. We have usually tended to ascribe these symptoms to the heart attack, considering any feelings of anxiety to be just an additional symptom. In truth, any of the symptoms mentioned can just as easily be symptoms of the anxiety one feels. If you're suffering a heart attack, you're unlikely to care what the source of the symptoms are, and are mainly focusing on the source of your anxiety, the heart attack.
If the above sounds a bit confusing, it's simply that there isn't always a clear demarcation between anxiety symptoms and the symptoms of whatever may be causing the anxiety. In other words, the two can't always be easily separated, which is probably why it's taken so long to link anxiety and dizziness with one another.
All Dizziness Is Not The Same - A definition of dizziness can be a bit of a variable, as different people experience dizziness in different ways and degrees of severity. Usually we say we're dizzy when the world within our view seems to be moving or spinning around us, and in the extreme, our balance becomes unstable. Some however experience dizziness as being more of a light headed sensation, and instead of the world spinning around them, they feel more like being out of contact with their surroundings.
Dizziness has many causes, some of them serious, some of them not. In any event, dizziness can be an unpleasant sensation, and if frequent or chronic should definitely be looked into. If your doctor can isolate your condition to one of anxiety and dizziness, the anxiety can be treated. Then the dizziness will take care of itself.